Teachers Don’t Need More PD —They Need Playtime 🎯

Author

Merissa Sadler-Holder
October 15, 2025

This week, I had the absolute joy of playing with AI alongside two incredible groups of educators: the STEM teachers at the Arkansas School for Math, Science and the Arts (ASMSA) and the amazing team at Mount Olive High School in Duarte, California.

And by playing, I mean the best kind of professional learning: hands-on exploration, laughter, a few “whoa!” moments, and rich conversations about how these tools can truly amplify teaching and learning.

We explored a smorgasbord of AI tools, each one sparking new ideas for classroom creativity and innovation. Here were some of their favorite free tools.

  • 💬 Chipp AI: We created custom bots that built choice boards and ESL friendly activities.

  • 🧠 Google NotebookLM: We built digital notebooks for individual units and generated interactive podcasts on our own content.

  • ✏️ Brisk Teaching: We designed presentations and practiced giving instant feedback to students using the tool.

  • 🎞️ Gamma: We created modern, AI-powered presentations in minutes, no design degree required.

  • 🎬 VEED.io: We made short, TikTok-style videos to bring classroom concepts to life in ways students find relevant to them.

  • 🎨 Canva: We explored the “Code for Me” AI tool to create games directly from our lesson ideas.

  • 🎵 Suno: We turned algorithm lessons into actual songs, composing class anthems in minutes!

The real magic wasn’t just in the tools themselves. It was in watching teachers imagine new ways to use them with students: from creative assessment to storytelling, science simulations, and beyond.

These educators reminded me that when teachers are given space to explore, experiment, and play, innovation follows naturally.

Grateful for Lori Kagebein at ASMA and Kevin Morris at Duarte Unified School District, whose leadership made this time of exploration possible. Their commitment to empowering teachers is a powerful model of what innovation-centered leadership looks like.

🧠💡 Here’s to more “playdates” with AI, because the future of learning is being built by curious educators, one experiment at a time.

🚀 Want to bring an AI “Play & Learn Workshop” to your school or district?
Let’s make it happen! Book a quick coffee chat with me to explore how we can design a hands-on session that gets your team playing with purpose.

We got this!

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I love reading your feedback, it helps me design effective solutions for others. I respond to all my emails. Just hit reply to this email. Rooting for you and your students! Love, M.

Beep. Boop.